How to Select the Best Pet Boarding Facilities

Pet boarding kennels are just one among the many kinds of kennel facilities that are available to pet owners, depending on their needs. For example, training kennels are best suited for those furry friends who could use some house training or are being trained for a special need such as assisting the elderly. Pet Boarding facilities, are kennels where professionals care for your pets not just during the day but also put them up at night.

How do you select the best pet boarding kennel?

Here are a few pointers to help you get started:• Locate the most convenient kennels: Rather than dashing off to all the kennels you know of, take a few minutes to jot down the closest and most convenient locations to drop off and pick up your furry buddy. Use Google, ask friends about their experiences and you could even check with a local Better Business Bureau for reviews and customer ratings on local kennels.

• Contact: Once you’ve shortlisted a few kennels, ensure that you call (or if possible, chat online via., their website) with each kennel, to know if they can take your pet during your vacation dates. This will be an immense help especially if your vacation is during common holiday periods such as Christmas or Thanksgiving. Ensure that the kennel can accommodate your particular breed, and state any special care needs such as care for a very young pup, an untrained one, one which requires medication etc., This way you need not visit a kennel that cannot offer you your most important aspects of care.

• Visit: Once you do visit a Pet Boarding facility, be sure to look around and ask specifically to have a look at where your fur friend will be staying. The area should look and feel clean and must certainly be safe, i.e., no area/items that could hurt your pooch. In case the kennel has a no visitors’ policy, you should be allowed to at least view the doggy house through a window or on camera.

• Security: Some of your furry buddies may be expert climbers or diggers or have the ability to unhook an un-attended door to let itself out. Hence ask to get extra fencing, wired coverings, locks etc.

• Trained Staff: Properly trained and certified staff should be present during the day and the night. You could also check on the staff to pets ratio and the number of staff is less, look for a different facility, since the safety and proper care of your pets will determine your furry buddy’s comfort level as well as your peace of mind. Having an on-call Vet as well is an added bonus.

• Certified Facility: The facility should hold proper licenses as prescribed by the state and be certified by the Chief License Inspector. The kennels that are a member of animal welfare associations such as Canadian boarding kennels association ensures that high standards of pet care and pet grooming are followed.

Leave your furry buddy in the most experienced hands you can find and go ahead and enjoy your vacation.